It’s the biggest night of the year in the movie calendar as Hollywood’s finest gather to see if their work is Oscar-worthy. But it’s also a night when the barriers are down and the waterworks are turned on. Guilty Pleasures takes a trip down memory lane to bring you the top 10 blubbers in Academy Award history. Get your hankies out…

10. Kate Winslet – The Reader (2009)

‘Well, it’s not a shampoo bottle now!’ Kate Winslet was clearly emotional when she won the Best Actress Oscar for The Reader in 2009. Recalling how she used to practice her acceptance speech when she was eight-years-old in her mirror at home, it’s no surprise she was a little teary as it was her first ever Oscar win after being nominated six times.

9. Octavia Spencer – The Help (2012)

‘Thank you Academy for putting me with the hottest guy in the room,’ a tearful Octavia Spencer joked as she accepted her Best Actress in a Supporting role Oscar in 2012. Octavia, whose emotional speech had the entire room on their feet, was of course referring to Christian Bale who had handed her the gong.

8. Natalie Portman – Black Swan (2011)

‘I want to thank my parents for giving me my life,’ said Natalie Portman when she won the Best Actress award for Black Swan in 2011. She said she’d have preferred a prize of working with her fellow nominees instead of the gong.

7. Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose (2008)

‘Thank you life, thank you love. It is true, there are some angels in this city!’ Marion was clearly moved when she won her Oscar for La Vie En Rose in 2008.

6. Julia Roberts – Erin Brockovich (2001)

‘I love the world! I’m so happy! Thank you!’ Julia Roberts took her time when she was awarded the Best Actress gong for Eric Brockovich in 2001. She even told the conductor to ‘sit down’ so she could really go to town on her speech.

5. Jennifer Hudson – Dreamgirls (2007)

‘If my grandmother could see me now,’ said an extremely tearful Jennifer Hudson when she won the supporting actress gong for Dreamgirls in 2007.

4. Angelina Jolie – Girl, Interrupted – 2000

‘God, I’m surprised nobody’s ever fainted up here.’ Angelina Jolie’s tears started before she’d even arrived on stage after a loving hug from her brother. And her acceptance speech for her Oscar for Best Actress In A Supporting Role for Girl, Interrupted in 2000 turned out to be more a declaration of how much she loves her bro.

3. Halle Berry Monster Ball 2001

‘I’m sorry! This moment is so much bigger than me.’ Halle Berry broke down in uncontrollable tears even before she reached the stage and then sobbed throughout her entire speech. But she movingly paid tribute to fellow black actresses as she became the first ever to win the Best Actress Academy Award.

2. Sally field Places In The Heart 1984

‘You like me! Right now, you like me!’ Sally Field blubbered all the way through her speech as she won the Oscar for Places In The Heart. Her ‘you like me’ declaration was from the film Norman Rae which secured her an Oscar in 1979.

1. Gwyneth Paltrow – Shakespeare In Love (1999)

‘I would not have been able to play this role had I not understood love of a tremendous magnitude and for that I thank my family.’ Arguably the most famous Academy Award speech in history. Gwyneth Paltrow cried throughout her entire speech when she won Best Actress for her role in Shakespeare In Love in 1999. After just about managing to keep the tears at bay, she then broke down as she thanked her family.